Afp Los Angeles

The Angels

Updated Thursday, February 1, 2024-01:33

American actor

Alec Baldwin

pleaded

not guilty this Wednesday to the charge of involuntary manslaughter

for the death of a colleague on a set in 2021 while rehearsing a scene for his film "Rust."

Baldwin presented his

written

statement before a New Mexico court, in charge of the judicial process that the Hollywood star faces for the death of his director of photography,

Halyna Hutchins.

In the same document, the 65-year-old actor

declined to formally appear before the court,

so what was going to be the first hearing of the case initially scheduled for Thursday, February 1, will not be held.

Producer and star of the western film, Baldwin was charged last month with the fatal shooting.

Baldwin was brandishing a

Colt .45

weapon during rehearsals on October 21, 2021 at the Bonanza Creek ranch, near Santa Fe, when a shot was fired that fatally hit Hutchins and wounded the production's director, Joel Souza.

The actor had already been charged a year ago in the case, however,

the prosecution dropped the charges

in April arguing that "new facts" had emerged that demanded "further investigation and forensic analysis."

After the first accusation, Baldwin pleaded not guilty and maintained in repeated interviews that

he did not fire the weapon.

However, forensic experts hired by the prosecution concluded that

Baldwin had to apply some pressure on the trigger

for the gun to fire.

Last month, a grand jury found there was

probable cause against Baldwin

for either negligent use of a firearm or lack of caution, leading to the new indictment.

In the United States, a grand jury is a group of citizens convened to

evaluate the evidence and decide whether there is enough evidence

to justify putting someone on trial.

If convicted, Baldwin could face up

to 18 months in prison.

"Wrong rating"

Baldwin's lawyers,

Luke Nikas and Alex Spiro,

asked the court for a "speedy trial" in the interest of "minimizing public vilification and suspicion and avoiding the risks to proving his innocence that often arise after a long delay in prosecution." ".

Hutchins' death shocked Hollywood, reviving past tragedies and prompting calls to ban firearms on film sets.

However, some voices stressed that the industry is regulated by

strict rules that were not followed

in detail during the filming of "Rust."

The charge against Baldwin centers on his role as an actor, and not as a producer.

Actors from the powerful American union SAG-AFTRA criticized the accusation, calling it "an incorrect assessment of an actor's duties."

"The job of an actor is not to be an expert in firearms,"

​​the guild said. "On a set, firearms are arranged under the guidance of several expert professionals who are directly responsible for their careful and safe handling."

The gunsmith on the tape,

Hannah Gutierrez-Reed,

was also charged with involuntary manslaughter and tampering with evidence in Hutchins' death.

According to the investigations, Gutierrez-Reed, in charge of the props,

would have placed a real bullet in the gun that Baldwin had to manipulate and

which had to load only fake ammunition.

The young woman, whose trial is scheduled for February, pleaded not guilty.

It has not been clarified how the real bullets reached the film set.

First assistant director

David Halls,

who put the gun in Baldwin's hands on the day of the tragedy, pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor weapons charge and was sentenced to six months' probation in March of last year.

After a pause due to the tragedy, filming of the film concluded last year in Montana under the reins of Souza, and with

Matthew Hutchins,

the director of photography's widower, as executive producer.

The director said at the time that the film's culmination was "bittersweet" but that the cast and crew were "committed" to completing what he and Halyna had started.

Baldwin is free on bail.